Naperville has spent more than $340k on unusual employee bonus program since 2013

Naperville City Hall is seen in a 2014 file photo. Over the past five years, more than 50 city employees were awarded at least $1,000 in bonus payments. (Melissa Jenco/Chicago Tribune)

Naperville offers city employees a bonus program unique among other large suburbs, rewarding anyone from the custodian to the city attorney small monetary awards throughout the year at the discretion of supervisors.

While the bonuses have ranged from as little as $5 and up to $1,000, with an annual cap of $2,100 per employee, the totals add up. Since 2013, the city has spent more than $340,000 in bonuses on top of regular employee salaries.

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Over the past five years, more than 50 employees were awarded at least $1,000 in bonus payments with a communications specialist in the city manager’s office taking in the most at $3,025.

Naperville officials say the city offers the bonuses in part to recognize work by employees, and to mirror components of the corporate structure to help keep employees in the public sector.

Terrence Bishop, associate professor of management at Northern Illinois University, said it is “relatively uncommon” for public sector employees to operate under a bonus structure, but incentives often help increase the energy and effort employee put into their work.

“Some of it’s just appearance of the design of a reward system which pays people for doing their job,” Bishop said. “As a public servant you think, aren’t you already being paid for that, but people being people don’t always do their jobs. Incentives, if clearly defined or measured well, make it clear what performance is expected.”

Naperville budgets $150,000 annually for bonuses, which makes up 0.17 percent of the city’s total $90.8 million personnel budget, said Linda LaCloche, spokeswoman for the city.

Bonus dollars that are left over each year go back into the city’s general fund. “We do not roll that money over, that’s why we encourage departments to utilize department dollars when appropriate,” said Jim Sheehan, director of the city’s Human Resources department.

Prospective city employees know the bonus program is one aspect of the city’s compensation package that emulates practices found in the corporate structure, LaCloche said. “Besides our regular compensation, there is also an opportunity for bonus pay. It’s not guaranteed. It’s based on merits and efforts and outstanding work and is tied to our core values which are people, respect, trust and pride.”

Naperville employees can also receive bonuses for “outstanding achievements and results that are aligned with the city’s business direction and departmental goals,” according to the city’s employee policy manual.

Once an employee is nominated for a bonus, it is up to department directors to approve the additional payment and determine an “appropriate” award amount for the scope of work, LaCloche said. There are “checks and balances between directors and HR, who tracks bonuses,” LaCloche said.

After an employee is approved for a bonus, he or she is awarded a certificate that states the award amount and why they are receiving it. From there, the employee can trade in the certificate for a Mastercard gift card or a Downtown Naperville gift card.

Not the norm

Officials from Elgin, Evanston and Lisle said those municipalities do not offer bonuses to city employees.

The city of Aurora has included stipends for employees on the executive pay plan for obtaining things like bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees and stipends for other employees who use approved languages other than English to serve the public.

Municipalities don’t often offer bonus programs, said Ben Silver, a community lawyer with the Citizen Advocacy Center in Elmhurst.

“Application of incentive systems in government may not be a bad idea,” Bishop said. “We can question the design and motivation behind them, but I don’t think there is an inherent evil in a public sector system.”

Naperville bonus amounts

According to records obtained by the Naperville Sun, at least 57 employees were awarded $1,000 or more in bonus payments since 2013. The records did not detail why individual bonuses were awarded.

The top total bonus amount, $3,025, was awarded to a communications specialist in the city manager’ office. The employee received $225 in 2013, $450 in 2014, $950 in 2015, $650 in 2016, $525 in 2017 and $225 this year.

A repair and excavation supervisor for the city’s water department was awarded $2,725 in bonus payments from February 2014 through Jan 5, 2018, with $450 awarded in 2014, $1,075 in 2015, $550 in 2016, $450 in 2017 and $200 in 2018.

The city of Naperville awarded a water distribution and collection manager for the city’s water department $2,300 in bonuses from Feb. 21, 2014, through Jan 19, 2018. The employee received $550 in 2014, $675 in 2015, $625 in 2016 and $450 though Jan. 19, 2018.

A reprographics operator for the city’s IT department received $2,100 in bonuses from May 2013 through this April and a communications specialist was paid $1,925 in bonuses from March 2015 through June 2018. And a field supervisor for the city’s public works department was awarded $1,825 in bonuses from Feb. 22, 2013, through March 30, 2018.